Downloaded opus today because I was tired of waiting for Rex weather to be fixed. I could never get it to work right. Opus was super easy to install and was up in running in minutes. Then I flew my first flight with opus weather and what a treat. Atis and winds matched with real weather, landing winds were correct at approach ( Rex couldn't get this right) I still use Rex for textures which work perfect with opus. I also liked the interface to check atis at destination and for checking winds aloft. I will start to look at other features in the program tomorrow. Just my 2 cents...

 

Tom

+1

 

The same probs with REX WX engine for me. Wrong winds on approaches was killing me. I tried Opus knowing I had a 30 day money back. I have done 3 flights now and it's bang on. I did these three flights at my home airport for which I live 3nm from. Weather, Metar and ATIS match all the way in. Only one problem. ATIS does not match until you are close. You are supposed to use the "in menu" weather report in place of ATIS for long range. But that is ok.

 

C.

Thanks for your comments, there are many limitations within FSX which we try to overcome, FSX cannot store weather information for an extended area, that is why FSX ATIS is only accurate to within about 40 miles, but this is due to limited memory which is something we all have to put up with within FSX.

 

Cheryl

So I guess FSX ATIS seems ok for low and slow of course. As in real world practice, 40 miles out at 5000 AGL doing 160 KNOTS or less is more than enough time for getting ATIS or AWOS reports at the destination. You have about 20 minutes in this case to get that report.

 

I find the biggest failure of the FSX limitation comes in anything that is approaching at 240+ knots from FL120 and above as you cannot really choose your arrival without knowing the weather and when you would normally check ahead to plan arrival, the airport is 60 to 70 miles out and you are still at FL120 or above. So you use the Opus in game destination weather report for setup and planning. I need someone that has ATP experience to explain where they normally got long range forcast from. Does Center provide that enroute? in the real world, when I listen at the airport wth my scanner, when Dash 8 pilots report in "with them" crossing 12000 feet for 10 or 11 with ATIS *name* and are about 60 miles out still, ATC will advise... "ATIS is now *name*" and then proceed to vector them for sequencing to the current active RW. I have to guess this is for them to know to check ATIS again. 

 

Back to the sim... So when I am in larger planes flying IFR, to give me something to do mid arrival, as soon as I see that DME is under 40 miles I dial in the ATIS and confirm for the heck of it. Radios are fun after all.

 

I flew my B200 on VATSIM last night and the controller (Approach) at Boise (KBOI) ATIS matched my Opus anyway and that was way cool. 

ATC will either advise you  of the proper ATIS code as a help guide or will let you know if the one you have is out of date and need to update it. Typically once ATC gives you descent instructions past FL180 they will start telling you Altimeter settings which would be a good indication to check the weather. Below 10,000ft you need to have your destination altimeter setting dialed in. So by 10,000ft you need to have the ATIS information.

The latest beta, released today, includes a much improved WINTER (Weather Interpolation) algorithm which improves the overall weather smoothing and accuracy/consistency of the simulator's ATIS reports.